# Nuclear Engineering

> A program that prepares individuals to apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, development and operational evaluation of systems for controlling and manipulating nuclear energy, including nuclear power plant design, fission reactor design, fusion reactor design, reactor control and safety systems design, power transfer systems, containment vessels and structures design; and the analysis of related engineering problems such as fission and fusion processes, human and environmental factors, construction, and operational considerations.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/programs/nuclear-engineering
- CIP code: 14.23 (Engineering)
- Colleges offering it: 27 at its most common degree level
- Value ranking: https://www.collegesref.com/best-colleges/engineering

## Outcomes by degree level (College Scorecard, 2025)

| Degree level | Colleges | Median earnings 1 yr | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median federal debt |
| --- | ---: | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| Certificate | 3 | $80,881 | $95,861 | $27,000 |
| Bachelor's | 21 | $80,397 | $99,675 | $20,000 |
| Master's | 27 | $103,822 | $110,980 | not reported |
| Doctoral | 26 | $126,268 | $146,422 | not reported |
| First professional | 1 | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Graduate/professional certificate | 9 | not reported | not reported | not reported |

## Colleges whose graduates earn the most (Bachelor's)

Only programs with at least 10 graduates are listed.

| College | Location | Median earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: |
| [University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-illinois-at-urbana-champaign-main-campus-2927) | Champaign, IL | $116,047 | $21,000 |
| [Georgia Institute of Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/georgia-institute-of-technology-main-campus-ga-tech-1072) | Atlanta, GA | $114,772 | not reported |
| [Texas A & M University-College Station](https://www.collegesref.com/college/texas-a-m-university-college-station-2694) | College Station, TX | $103,438 | $19,000 |
| [University of Wisconsin-Madison](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-wisconsin-madison-main-campus-3084) | Madison, WI | $102,449 | not reported |
| [North Carolina State University at Raleigh](https://www.collegesref.com/college/north-carolina-state-university-at-raleigh-1884) | Raleigh, NC | $100,212 | $20,000 |
| [The University of Tennessee-Knoxville](https://www.collegesref.com/college/the-university-of-tennessee-knoxville-main-campus-2761) | Knoxville, TN | $99,139 | $18,642 |
| [University of Michigan-Ann Arbor](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-michigan-ann-arbor-main-campus-2956) | Ann Arbor, MI | $94,330 | not reported |
| [Oregon State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/oregon-state-university-2035) | Corvallis, OR | $94,105 | $19,500 |
| [Missouri University of Science and Technology](https://www.collegesref.com/college/missouri-university-of-science-and-technology-1739) | Rolla, MO | $89,929 | $20,000 |
| [Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute](https://www.collegesref.com/college/rensselaer-polytechnic-institute-rpi-2221) | Troy, NY | $87,239 | not reported |

## Related careers (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk)

- [Architectural and Engineering Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/architectural-and-engineering-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Biofuels/Biodiesel Technology and Product Development Managers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/biofuels-biodiesel-technology-and-product-development-managers): $171,270 median pay
- [Nuclear Engineers](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/nuclear-engineers): $133,970 median pay
- [Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/engineering-teachers-postsecondary): $109,270 median pay

## More in Engineering

- [Engineering, General](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/engineering-general): 452 colleges
- [Mechanical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/mechanical-engineering): 395 colleges
- [Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/electrical-electronics-and-communications-engineering): 387 colleges
- [Computer Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/computer-engineering): 367 colleges
- [Civil Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/civil-engineering): 300 colleges
- [Biomedical/Medical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/biomedical-medical-engineering): 200 colleges
- [Chemical Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/chemical-engineering): 182 colleges
- [Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/environmental-environmental-health-engineering): 130 colleges

## Guides on this field

- [How to Compare Colleges by Major: Engineering, STEM, Pre-Med, and Business](https://www.collegesref.com/blog/how-to-compare-colleges-by-major)

## Sources

- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data, 2025: https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/
- NCES Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020: https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/